PDEM PT Curriculum

The 12-month programme includes a total of seven subjects, presented as papers, plus the Action Research Project (ARP), as summarised here:

Intrepreneurship

Focusing on intrepreneurship (entrepreneurship within the organisation). We explore everything from its history and origin to its characteristics, social and economic impact, creativity and innovation, and relevance in the contemporary business environment.

Financial Management

Analysis of financial statements including ratio analysis, financing the capital requirements of the small business, break even analysis, budgets, working capital management, taxation and insurance.

Sustainability

Examining the changes to the organisational playing field resulting from increased awareness and demand for sound corporate governance and social and environmental accountability. Understanding how these changes can assist in leveraging competitive advantage. Key themes include concepts of sustainable development within the South African, regional and international contexts, governance and corporate social responsibility, plus international and local drivers and considerations for business organisations.

Strategic Marketing

Identifying environmental market opportunities, assessing the competitive environment and the resources necessary to exploit those opportunities, appraising the market and financial performance.

Integrated Business Modelling

Developing an in-depth understanding of business and the supply chain as an integrated model in order to be able to astutely examine where value is being added or where it is lacking and could be added.

People Management

Understanding behaviour and leadership, the human resource function and labour relations in organisations

Business Consulting

Developing the skills sets required for people to be able to consult to their business in a way that adds value to the business outside of their functional role. It’s about developing you to the point where you can astutely innovate ideas and projects that can help your organisation change for the better and grow.

Action Research Project (ARP)

This is an individual project where you are expected to implement an innovative business change within your organisation during the 12 months of the programme.

The PDEM PT is a 120 credit programme

Each Paper is worth 12 Credits (7x12 = 84 credits)

Each paper will be assessed via an exam, an assignment and a class mark (the class mark will also consist of a pre-module preparation task where applicable)

The ARP is worth 36 Credits

This will be assessed on a portfolio of evidence collected over the duration of the diploma in the form of reflection and learning from each module and how it impacted on their ARP. Students will be expected to formally present their ARP to a panel of assessors